Building cladding elements and systems

Abstract

A cladding system configured to be installed on a building substrate includes a plurality of fiber cement cladding elements and at least one trim element. The plurality of fiber cement cladding elements includes at least a first and second cladding element, each having a front face with a textured pattern, a rear face, first and second mating edges configured to allow mating between the first and second cladding elements, and a plurality of intermediate grooves recessed from the front face. The at least one trim element includes one or more channels configured to receive a portion of at least one of the first and second cladding elements. Each of the plurality of grooves includes a first curved surface, a second curved surface, a third curved surface, a fourth curved surface, and a planar surface positioned between the second and fourth curved surfaces and substantially parallel to the front face.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cladding system configured to be installed on an exterior of a building substrate, the cladding system comprising:
 a plurality of cladding elements, the plurality of cladding elements comprising at least a first cladding element and a second cladding element, each of the first and second cladding elements comprising fiber cement and further comprising:
 a front face configured to face away from the building substrate when each of the first and second cladding elements is secured to the building substrate; 
 a rear face opposite the front face and configured to face toward the building substrate when each of the first and second cladding elements is secured to the building substrate; 
 a first mating edge extending between the front and rear faces and extending along a length or height of each of the first and second cladding elements, wherein the first mating edge comprises:
 a first curved surface extending from the front face at least partially toward the rear face and having a first radius of curvature; 
 a second curved surface connected to the first curved surface and having a second radius of curvature that is smaller than the first radius of curvature of the first curved surface; 
 a third curved surface spaced from and opposite to the first curved surface, the third curved surface extending from the front face at least partially toward the rear face and having a third radius of curvature that is substantially equal to the first radius of curvature of the first curved surface; 
 a fourth curved surface connected to the third curved surface and having a fourth radius of curvature that is smaller than the third radius of curvature of the third curved surface, wherein the fourth radius of curvature is substantially equal to the second radius of curvature of the second curved surface; and 
 a planar surface connected to and positioned between the second and fourth curved surfaces, wherein the planar surface is substantially parallel to the front face; 
 
 a second mating edge opposite the first mating edge and extending between the front and rear faces and along the length or height of each of the first and second cladding elements, wherein the first mating edge of the first cladding element is configured to mate with the second mating edge of the second cladding element to form a U shaped joint groove extending along the length or height of each of the first and second cladding elements; and 
 a plurality of intermediate grooves recessed from the front face and extending substantially parallel to the first and second mating edges. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one trim element configured to be secured to the building substrate, the at least one trim element comprising one or more channels configured to receive a portion of at least one of the first and second cladding elements. 
     
     
         3 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first radius of curvature and the third radius of curvature is between approximately 0.3 inch (7.6 mm) and approximately 0.5 inch (12.7 mm). 
     
     
         4 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , wherein the front face of at least one of the cladding elements has a smooth finish. 
     
     
         5 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , wherein the front face of at least one of the cladding elements has a textured pattern. 
     
     
         6 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the second radius of curvature and the fourth radius of curvature is between approximately 0.03 inch (0.76 mm) and approximately 0.05 inch (1.3 mm). 
     
     
         7 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a tangent line of the first curved surface at an intersection of the first curved surface and the front face is angled at a first angle with respect to the front face, wherein the first angle is less than 90°; and   a tangent line of the third curved surface at an intersection of the third curved surface and the front face is angled at a second angle with respect to the front face that is substantially equal to the first angle.   
     
     
         8 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second cladding elements are panels. 
     
     
         9 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of intermediate grooves have a smooth finish. 
     
     
         10 . The cladding system of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second mating edges have a smooth finish. 
     
     
         11 . The cladding system of  claim 1 , wherein the planar surface is the only non-curved surface of the joint groove. 
     
     
         12 . A cladding element configured to be secured to a building substrate, the cladding element comprising fiber cement and further comprising:
 a front face;   a rear face opposite the front face;   a first mating edge extending between the front and rear faces;   a second mating edge opposite the first mating edge and extending between the front and rear faces, wherein the first mating edge is configured to abut the second mating edge of an adjacent cladding element to form a joint groove; and   at least one intermediate groove recessed from the front face and extending along a length or height of the cladding element, wherein the at least one intermediate groove comprises:
 a curved surface extending from the front face at least partially toward the rear face and having a first radius of curvature; and 
 a planar surface connected to the curved surface, wherein the planar surface is substantially parallel to the front face. 
   
     
     
         13 . The cladding element of  claim 12 , wherein the front face has a smooth finish. 
     
     
         14 . The cladding element of  claim 12 , wherein the front face has a textured pattern. 
     
     
         15 . The cladding element of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one intermediate groove extends substantially parallel to the first and second mating edges. 
     
     
         16 . The cladding element of  claim 12 , wherein the planar surface is the only non-curved surface of the at least one intermediate groove. 
     
     
         17 . The cladding element of  claim 12 , wherein:
 a tangent line of the first curved surface at an intersection of the first curved surface and the front face is angled at a first angle with respect to the front face, wherein the first angle is less than 90°.